New data from Darktrace identified that manufacturers are rapidly embedding AI into production scheduling, quality inspection, logistics optimization and predictive maintenance systems, but the pace of adoption is exposing factory environments to cyber risks that many organizations are not prepared to manage. Agentic systems are powerful because they operate with a high degree of autonomy, but that same independence also introduces significant cyber and operational risk. These agents often hold broad permissions and can execute complex tasks, make decisions, and interact with enterprise tools or external systems with minimal human oversight, expanding potential impact of misuse, compromise, or unintended actions.
“Unlike traditional AI models that perform predefined tasks, AI agents use advanced techniques to mimic human decision-making processes, dynamically adapting to new challenges, making decision and taking action based on their own judgment,” Oakley Cox, director of product at Darktrace, wrote in a Thursday blog post. “They look like employees operationally, but lack judgment, ethics, or fear of consequences like humans do. This means they can be easily…
